


Welcome to Homeworld

by LCProductions



Series: Welcome to Homeworld [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:00:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 8,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26339161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LCProductions/pseuds/LCProductions
Summary: Chrysoprase never really knew how to fit in, but a few strange experiences will change everything.
Series: Welcome to Homeworld [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2056392
Kudos: 4





	1. The Restaraunt

“Tan, stop being so negative.” Chrysoprase snarked at the gem who sat across from him, looking down at the diamond on his lapel while doing it, “I’m not negative, I’m just not stupid.” his friend Tanzanite murmured, a big soldier gem who was afraid of most things. The Yellow District on Homeworld was not known for its hang out spots, but the restaurant was different. “How are my two favorite bickering friends doing?” Citrine slid into their conversation, a wide smile plastered on his face, he was a tall and lanky gem, with a long tuft of golden brown hair. “Someone won’t take the case of a lifetime.” Chrysoprase quickly responded, staring his friend down. 

“I have a girlfriend! I can’t just act like a teenager anymore!” Tanzanite yelled in retort, “You let that Amber control you.” “I love her!” they continued to argue while Citrine stood and listened until they stopped. “You know” the orange gem began, “You two remind me of some other people I know.” Chrysoprase perked up, "Oh, Really? Who?" Citrine nodded his head over to the left, showcasing a reddish orange gem and a much bigger blue gem sitting at a table. 

“Beryl, come on!” the reddish orange gem scolded, “You gotta remember who the face on this team is!” The larger gem, who Chrysoprase identified as a Maxixe, responded “You don’t have to be a jerk all the time, Carnelian.”, deadpan expression locked on his face. “I will fight you.” “I’ll win.” the two gems bickered while the three gems to their left watched, “I should probably go stop them.” as Citrine walked over to separate the two, Chrysoprase had a thought. “Tan?” “Yeah?” “Are we like that?” Chrysoprase’s despondent look said it all, “Nah, you’re not an egomaniac.” Tanzanite couldn’t help but smile at his friend. The two gems left the establishment and wandered around the area, where they ran into Carnelian moping around with a bloody nose, "Are you okay?" Chrysoprase asked quietly, she quickly stood up and grabbed Chrysoprase by the collar. 

"What are you two doing out here?" She asked frantically, shaking from something neither of them knew about, "You aren't supposed to see this." Tanzanite tried to calm her down, "We're just walking by, we won't tell anyone." he spoke calmly. After a short pause, the larger Carnelian let Chrysoprase go, but not without giving a warning, "You two idiots saw nothing, alright?" She growled, "Done." Chrysoprase responded quietly, still in shock about what just happened. Little did he know, this would spark the strangest events of his existence. 


	2. A Walk in the District

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase and Tanzanite take a walk in the district, and they potentially realize something sinister along the way.

“That was weird.” Tanzanite bluntly spoke after the whole ordeal was over, expecting a quip back from his friend. “It was, wasn’t it?” he responded slowly, “Is something wrong, dude?” Tanzanite asked, it was strange that Chrysoprase didn’t make some random reference after that. “No. I’m just thinking about something.” “Thinking about what?” “Her.” Tanzanite became confused, “She got punched, she was mad. Simple.” Chrysoprase quickly turned around, “She was shaking, she was afraid of something... “ he paused, “Someone attacked her from behind.”

His friend thought over the musing, “Dude, that’s insane and you know it.” “Is it though? She’s a huntress, right? If she just got punched by that guy she was arguing with, she would’ve been angry, not afraid.” Tanzanite realized that his friend had a point, after all, he was smarter than he gives him credit for. “Who would be dumb enough to attack a high-ranking gem and not expect to be caught?” Chrysoprase thought it over, "It would have to be someone who had something against her, someone who saw them arguing in the restaurant, and someone who could’ve covered something like this up.” Tanzanite stepped back, “No” his voice began to boom, “Remember the last time you thought up a conspiracy theory?”

They both thought back to a previous case, something about a rebellion or whatever, but Chrysoprase hit a lightbulb, “I got it!” Chrysoprase yelled with vigor, "What do you mean?" Tanzanite answered, "We have to go back to Citrine's!" the smaller gem ran off in the opposite directon, expecting his friend to follow him, “Dude, I’m going home. You know Amber won’t be happy if I’m out snooping all night.” Chrysoprase quickly turned around on one foot and said “Fine, but we’re doing it tomorrow.” “Deal.” Then the gems went their separate ways, but they both knew that they had a case to solve in the morning.


	3. Interview with a Restaurateur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase and Tanzanite try to get some answers.

Chrysoprase and Tanzanite met up at Citrine’s the next morning, one ready for an investigation, the other looking as if he had just witnessed a murder. “Stars above, why do you look like that?” Chrysoprase asked, showing genuine concern for his friend, “Amber wanted to talk last night.” his friend answered, and they both nodded in mutual understanding of what that meant. They walk in the door of the restaurant, warmly greeted by the face of the establishment’s owner.

“What can I do for you guys?” Citrine asked, the same smile from last night remaining on his face, “Well, we want to know if you saw anything… strange last night.” Chrysoprase asked, “No” Citrine began, “Nothing that I noticed. Why? Did you two get into trouble again?” his smile waned a little, “No, that Carnelian got attacked last night, and we’re going to try and figure out who did it.” the other gem quickly responded, not really knowing what to say afterwards. Citrine walked over to the host desk, resting his arms on where the menus were, “Really? I can’t say I’m surprised, but I still do feel bad for her.” he said, solemnly. “Did you see anyone strange in the restaurant last night?” Chrysoprase questioned, “I know everyone who walks in here. If someone new was in here, I would’ve noticed.” Citrine answered as he began to clean a menu.

“This happened after I kicked her out, right?” Citrine asked, “Yeah.” “It could’ve been someone outside, people are walking around all the time.” Chrysoprase thought that over, and then his face perked up into a wide grin of realization, “That’s it.” Tanzanite looked down on his friend with a confused look, “What are you thinking of?” “It had to be someone who was outside when she was arguing with that Beryl!” Chrysoprase turned on a dime, “Citrine, does she have any enemies?” “Probably. She’s a huntress, her job is catching criminals, of course she’s gonna have some enemies.” Tanzanite put his hand to his chin, “But Huntress is a really vague job title, right?”

Citrine went to clean a table and answered while he did it, “Well, huntresses are basically just Yellow Diamond’s goons. She makes them do everything, they’re her bodyguards, her police force, they do everything while she sits in her palace and lives the high life.” Chrysoprase walked over to the window, looking out for a person who wasn’t there, “Yeah, but did she have anyone who specifically would want to hurt her?” Citrine made a face, “No. Most of the people who’d have anything against her would be warriors, considering that I think she’s high ranking.” Chrysoprase had another eureka moment, “A warrior... Tan, I have an idea of who it could be.” Tanzanite stepped back a little, “Crap-” “Thanks, Citrine!” The smaller gem grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him out the door. The two gems swiftly walked out the restaurant, but then they ran into someone they didn’t exactly want to see.


	4. An Unwanted Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase and Tanzanite run into a surprising face.

Chrysoprase looked up at the face of the reddish orange gem who bumped into him, bandages covering her still bloody nose, “You two twits?!” Carnelian screamed, baring her teeth in the process. “What’re you two doing here?” she scowled, “Uh…” Tanzanite responded first, “Trying to find your attacker?” her face contorted into a more neutral expression, “I don’t need your help.” she bluntly answered, wiping her nose with her hand.

“We just wanna find the guy who attacked you.” Chrysoprase tried to calm her down, standing in the middle of her and his much bigger friend, “I am a huntress, weakling” Chrysoprase tried to speak, but she stopped him in his tracks, “and Huntresses get what we please, even if we have to kill to do it.” Tanzanite stepped forward, “Stars Above! We needed a case, we got a good case, and it’s not our fault that you were the victim. Can you please just accept this and let us do our job?” the soldier got into the Carnelian’s face, doing his best to be threatening.

“Get out of my face.” she murmured maliciously, “Hey!” Citrine yelled from the doorway, “Will you two calm down?” he turned back into the restaurant, still watching out the front window. Chrysoprase had backed away from the action, he wasn’t used to seeing his friend that mad before, especially as sudden as this. “I’ll tell you who I think it was” she began, “I think it was that Amber you have around your arms.” her voice had a certain kind of venom to it, and the sneer plastered on her face was the icing on the very smarmy cake.

The reddish orange gem walked into the restaurant, disappearing behind the glass of the window pane. Chrysoprase finally walked back to his friends’ side, “Are you alright, dude?” “We’re Leaving.” Tanzanite started walking in the other direction, the smaller gem having to run to keep up, “Come on, man. Talk to me.” “You want my opinion? She just accused the woman I love of attacking her, and if she goes to Yellow Diamond with that… I’m screwed.” he sat at a bench, raising his hands up to cover his face.

Chrysoprase watched in utter confusion, “How did everything go haywire this quickly?” he thought to himself, “Tan?" “Yeah?” “I think we need to know why she would accuse Amber in the first place.” Tanzanite whipped his head up at his friend, “What are you saying?” Chrysoprase attempted to put his friend at ease, “I’m just saying we should talk to her, that’s all.” he grabbed Tanzanite’s hand, and helped him back up to his feet. “Fine.” was all the teal gem could muster, and the two were off to visit an Amber with a story to tell.


	5. Tanzanite's Girlfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new suspect is revealed, and no one is exactly happy about it.

Chrysoprase and Tanzanite walked up the somewhat crowded streets of the Yellow District, the smaller gem maneuvering his way through while his much bigger friend aimlessly followed. “If it helps anything, I don’t think it’s her.” Chrysoprase said to try and put his friend at ease, but it was no use. Eventually, they reached Amber’s apartment, a loft in the nice part of the district. “Tanzanite!” She yelled as Tanzanite unlocked the door, “Don’t surprise me like that, love.” She was holding a sword in her hand, and looked to have made quick work of the holographic clone she had fought, “What’s wrong, Tan?” her face turned to a frown, “Well…” “We need to ask you some questions.” Chrysoprase cut his friend off, thinking it was for his own good.

“Like what?” “Well, a Carnelian was attacked outside of the restaurant, and we’re trying to-” Amber’s eyebrow twitched, “Her?” Tanzanite quickly went to his girlfriends’ side, “Hey, calm down, We’re just trying to help someone out.” The amber gem twisted his arm, “Anyone but her.” Chrysoprase spoke up, “Why not?” a subtle inquisitive look besmeared on his face, “It’s a long story.” Amber said as she sheathed her sword in her gem and sat down on her bed in a heap. “She accused you.” Tanzanite blurted, ending the awkward silence that had ensued, Chrysoprase swiftly stepped back and went into a defensive position, not knowing what could happen next. “That arrogant little suck-up” she started yelling, “I knew she would try to pin something like this on me someday!” the green gem in the back spoke up again, “Why do you hate her so much?” Amber glared at him, “She abandoned me at the academy, she went off to go be a huntress and be a big superstar, while I stayed and just got to be some grunt commander with no recognition.” Her voice faltered a little, like she was about to cry, but Tanzanite put his arms around her shoulders and calmed her down.

Chrysoprase thought about it, putting everything together and such, and came to a conclusion. “It wasn’t her-” “Well, Obviously!” his friend interrupted, “You didn’t let me finish, she wasn’t attacked by her because a grunt commander wouldn’t risk their life just to get back at someone.” Chrysoprase supposed, expecting some sort of mildly sarcastic response, but he received nothing. “Well, Good luck you two.” Amber rushed them out of the apartment, not even bothering to say a proper goodbye. “If she breaks up with me, I’m blaming you.” Tanzanite smugly remarked, “That’s fair.” Chrysoprase responded calmly, and they both went on their way to find the culprit, even if they had no idea who that could possibly be.


	6. Nighttime Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase and Tanzanite hang out at Citrine's

“What are we doing here?” Tanzanite asked droopily, the sounds of the restaurant bustling around him, “We are here to do what we do every night, Tan.” Chrysoprase answered passive-aggressively. “I just want to cheer you up, buddy.” “It’s not really working.” Tanzanite continued to brood while his friend tried to lighten his sour mood, “You know...” he began, “I saw these Rubies outside that looked like a worse version of us.” the smaller gems face lit up with a smile, hoping his friend would match his expression, instead, all he received was a slight chuckle.

Citrine walked by with his usual demeanor, “Hello, boys.” “Hey, Citrine.” the orange gem stopped to talk to the two gems at the table, “What’s with the long face, Tanzanite?” Citrine asked warmly, his smirk never wavering, “Something, Something, Girl trouble.” Chrysoprase said bluntly, “I’m upset because I’ve had a stressful day. My girlfriend just got accused of attacking someone, not to mention she almost broke up with me, and I lost my communicator on the way here!” his voice grew louder as he stood out of the booth, causing his smaller friend to cower. “Sorry.” the soldier gem said quietly, sitting back down. “Maybe y’all shouldn’t try and solve this case anymore, you don’t even like her.” Citrine added, trying to help, “No.” Chrysoprase answered candidly. “We’re detectives! It’s what we do, no matter who it is.”

Citrine made a face of understanding, and walked back to the kitchen. Tanzanite reached into his pocket, pulling out a letter that he had read previously. “What does it say?” Chrysoprase asked curiously, wanting a lead on what seemed like an unsolvable case. “It’s private,” his friend murmured. “Come on, son.” “It’s not for show.” The green gem across the table gave Tanzanite the puppy dog eyes, and he had to crack after that. “Ugh," he groaned, "Fine. Read it.” Chrysoprase quickly grabbed the letter and read it aloud to himself, “Dear, Tanzanite,” the letter began, “I have the highest honor to welcome you to my party. It would be a lovely experience if you’d come. Then we could talk about that little case of yours. With high regards, Carnelian.” Chrysoprase looked up in confusion, “She-” “Yeah.” “It’s a little odd.” Tanzanite nodded, “I think I’m gonna go home.” he stood up and walked out the door at a brisk pace, not even stopping to say goodbye. Chrysoprase sighed, “I’m just concerned, is all.” he mumbled silently, wishing he could take this day back.


	7. The Uninvited Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanzanite discovers an unexpected intruder in his apartment.

Tanzanite stepped into the elevator, standing alone with the quiet music playing in the background like the score of his own personal movie. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door, expecting to see the empty apartment he had gotten used to, but instead he was in for a surprise. “Hello, Tanny!” Carnelian sat on his couch with a wide smile, “How did you get in here?” Tanzanite squeaked, still in shock by the greeting of his unexpected guest, “That doesn’t matter now, all that matters is that we can finally talk about the case without your little friend.” Tanzanite glared at her, “Chrysoprase is my partner, not you.” Carnelian made a face, “Calm down, Tanzanite! You don’t have to be so rude all the time.” her toothy smile returned, and Tanzanite tried his hardest to not knock her out right then and there.

“We will solve your case, Carnelian.” He spoke frankly, standing eye to eye with the now standing huntress, “Sure you will.” she sneered, “Now that I think about it though, shouldn’t you two twits let the professional do her job?” she asked rudely, her smirk growing bigger by the second. Tanzanite groaned, “Will you please leave?” “Aw, we haven’t even got to talk about the details yet, like all of the little nuances that make my case so very interesting.” Carnelian leaned up against a wall, hamming up what she saw as her performance, “Look, Chrysoprase and I can solve your case, you just can’t get in the way.” she frowned, “You think I’m in your way? I always thought that I was just helping you two.” the reddish orange gem curled her lip, her sycophantic nature coming out in full force. “Ugh,” Tanzanite sighed, “What do you have on the case?” her face lit up, “Well, I know it wasn’t the Amber who attacked me, I now believe that it was a former rival of mine.”

Tanzanite raised an eyebrow, “Who?” “No one important, just some Chalcedony.” the soldier stared blankly at the huntress, “A Chalcedony?” Carnelian placed her hand under her chin, “Yes, I hunted one of her associates, she was not too happy about it.” her hand became a beam of light, and her smirk turned into a subtle frown. The lock on the door started to unlatch, like someone was unlocking the door, and Tanzanite immediately knew exactly who it was. “Tanzanite? Can we talk?” Amber’s voice came through the door, and Tanzanite whipped his head over at the Carnelian standing across from him, a disparaging smile plastered on her face, for she had lured him right into her trap.


	8. The Standoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carnelian and Amber exchange words in Tanzanite’s apartment.

The door opened and Amber stepped into her boyfriend’s apartment, her concerned look said more than words could have, but then she saw her. “You.” Amber growled through her teeth, her face shifting into an indignant rage that Tanzanite had never seen before.

“My! Someone doesn’t look happy to see me.” Carnelian sneered, leaning up against the wall behind her. “What is she doing here?” Amber asked Tanzanite. “She broke in.” he responded simply, a blank stare on his face. “He’s right, though I believe that I just invited myself in.” Amber tried to speak up, but Carnelian chose to interrupt her, “Oh, and I should mention that I have your communicator, Tanny. Who knew some random brute on the street could do such a convincing impression of you?” Tanzanite became livid. “You lying wretch!” he yelled angrily, forcing himself to hold back from physically harming the huntress in front of him.

Amber unsheathed her sword, causing both of the gems around her to step back. “Am, calm down.” Tanzanite pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears. “Don’t tell me to calm down.” Amber stood in a fighting stance, expecting a fight out of her rival. Carnelian stepped forward, almost taunting the commander in front of her, “I don’t want to fight, Amber,” she began, “I just came here to ask your boy toy some questions is all.” her smirk refusing to waver. The huntress pulled a light blaster out of her gem, fiddling with it like a child with a toy. “Wait-” Tanzanite stood confused, “Don’t you have light powers?” “Haven’t I played you enough, Tanny?” she responded snarkily, looking over at him for a split-second. 

Amber and Carnelian stared each other down, looking for any weakness between them. “You left me there all alone, you know?” Amber spoke up, a small twinge of sadness in her voice. “I had to stay while you got to go off and live some cushy life, while I had to work for everything.” Carnelian’s face distorted into a scowl, “You had to work for everything? I had to prove myself to those rubble heads at the academy, while you got to be Yellow Diamond’s little pet!” the rage in her voice was made painfully obvious. “I wasn’t a pet!” “You were! You got every little thing handed to you on a silver platter!” the reddish orange gem fired her blaster, but she missed the target, still keeping her finger on the trigger. 

Amber quickly recovered from her shock and went in for the kill, but Carnelian grabbed her and sent her blaster into the jaw of her opponent. She picked Amber up off the floor, this time delivering a brutal uppercut to knock her back down again. “Stop!” Tanzanite finally spoke up, putting himself in between the two. “Please, just leave.” his voice started to break. Carnelian stood down, “Fine, but do remember that I’m not afraid to rip you, your girlfriend, or that stupid little Chrysoprase to shreds. It is my job after all.” Her sneer returned, and she walked out the door with her head held high.


	9. A Diamond's Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase gets summoned by Yellow Diamond

While all that was happening, Chrysoprase stayed at the restaurant, sitting despondently until Citrine told him to go home and get some sleep. As he walked home, he noticed someone staring at him, but he was too tired to do anything about it at that moment. He woke up the next morning to the sight of a folded letter sitting on his desk, the symbol of the Diamond Authority stamped firmly in the middle. “When you see this,” the letter began, “Please go down to the lobby and meet my associate there.” he made an audible groan, not wanting to get out of his comfortable bed.

Chrysoprase went down to the lobby, where he was greeted by a small, golden gem with her pale white hair pulled up into a ponytail. “Took you long enough.” she said bluntly, her expression never changing from a look of utter disinterest, “Uh, I was asleep.” Chrysoprase answered back, confused by her icy tone. The small gem grabbed Chrysoprases arm and dragged him out into the city, not giving him any time to think. “Where are we going?” “You’ve been summoned by Yellow Diamond, we’re going to her palace.” Chrysoprase pulled his arm away, “Wait, she summoned me?” the small gem stood naggingly, “Yeah, now let’s get moving!” she took back his arm and starting pulling him again.

Eventually, they made it to the palace, its beautiful murals shining on the walls. “This place looks beautiful.” Chrysoprase said in shock, his curious expression shining through, “Sure it does, that’s how it’s supposed to be.” her matter of fact tone made it seem like she didn’t exactly like this place. “Just get on the elevator and go to the top floor, her office is there, can’t miss it.” the golden gem quickly took off, leaving Chrysoprase all on his own. He made his way up to the top floor, and stepped into Yellow Diamond’s office.

“You must be the Chrysoprase.” her voice was enough to strike a twinge of fear into the smaller gem, “Please, have a seat.” her eyes looked down upon him, she was only a head taller than a quartz, but she always seemed like a giant. Chrysoprase sat down as she took her place behind the desk, looking out the window that had the entire city as a backdrop. “I heard that you were trying to find my huntress’ attacker.” “Yeah, me and my friend are doing that.” her face never changed, “I want you to find her attacker, because we both know that if she finds him or her, then there will be shards.” her tone turned dark, and her golden eyes never let off the now shaking Chrysoprase. “She does brag about killing people.” “Kill missions are rare, but it is not out of the question.” the diamond inspected her own hand, “Just find the attacker, you seem like a smart gem, don’t fail me.” Chrysoprase sank into the chair, “Y-Yes… My Diamond.” “You are dismissed.” the green gem got up and left, breathing a sigh of relief as he got back on the elevator. 

He knew he had a whole lot more work to do.


	10. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase and Tanzanite meet back up.

Chrysoprase and Tanzanite met up at the fountain, both looking shaken from prior events. The larger gem bluntly looked down at his friend, “I don’t wanna solve the case anymore.” Chrysoprase became confused, “Why?” “Something happened last night, and I don’t want to help her anymore.” Tanzanite’s disillusion was all it took to make the smaller gem break. “Yellow Diamond told me to solve this case, so I’m kinda stuck with it.” Chrysoprase said in reply, hoping that a diamond's order would change his friends’ mind.

“Good luck with that.” Tanzanite turned around and began to walk away, but Chrysoprase interrupts, “You’re almost never like this, what happened?” the soldier turned around on one foot, “She broke into my house and got into a fight with Amber.” He bluntly responded, the anger seeping out of his voice. The smaller gem stepped back, now letting his friend walk away. “Great,” He started thinking out loud, “Of course she had to ruin it.” he decided to go to Citrine, maybe he could be of some help. “Hey, Citrine.” Chrysoprase walked into the restaurant, closing the door quickly behind him. “What is it?” “Tanzanite kinda flaked on the case.” Citrine began to frown, “That doesn’t sound like him.” Chrysoprase looked down, “That’s what I said.”

The owner put his arm around the smaller gem, “I’m sure it’ll get better, just give him some time.” the green gem smiled. “Will you help me solve the case?” Chrysoprase eyes gleamed, a smile brandished on his face. “Woah,” Citrine began, “I still have the restaurant to keep up with.” Citrine answered, his warm smile dissipating as he was forced to disappoint his friend. “Ok, I understand.” “You know I’ll help you in any way I can.” Chrysoprase stood up and gave Citrine a short hug, surprising the restaurant owner. “Thanks, Citrine.” the taller gem went back to his work, “You’re welcome, bud.” Chrysoprase left the restaurant, his head held somewhat high, “I can do this on my own.” he thought to himself, “I don’t need Tan.” he began to hold his head higher, now gaining confidence. He went to work, looking for anyone who could’ve had a connection. They all lead back to nothing, however, and he knew that meant he had to talk to her. He left the bench he was sitting on and went to find her, knowing in the back of his mind that this day couldn’t get any worse.


	11. Asking for Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase asks Carnelian for some help with the case.

Chrysoprase swallowed whatever pride he had and knocked on the door of Carnelian’s apartment. “Well, Well, Well,” she began, “Look who came crawling to me.” “Don’t make this harder for me.” Chrysoprase said as he looked down at his shoes.

“What are you doing here, twit?” she asked bluntly, her expression changing into one of stoic annoyance. “I… want your help.” her face perked back up, “Oh, really now?” “Yeah.” the smaller gem answered with a sigh. “You seem upset, like you’re embarrassed to ask me for help.” Carnelian sneered, her smile becoming less welcoming with every passing second.

“No, it’s not that at all!” Chrysoprase stepped back, “It’s just that Tanzanite gave up on the case, and Yellow Diamond told me to solve it-” “Yellow Diamond told you to solve my case?” the huntress moved closer, much to Chrysoprase’s dismay, “Uh… Yeah.” “Well, that’s interesting considering that she barely listens to me and doesn’t even know my name.” she spoke with a certain kind of disdain in her voice. “She called you “her huntress”, that means something, right?” Chrysoprase asked curiously, “She calls everyone that.” Carnelian replied angrily, baring her incisors in the process.

“Look, I’m sorry I brought it up.” he stepped back again, “It’s whatever. Now do you want my help or not?” “Yes, I do.” “Then let’s go, twit.” the taller gem walked out of her apartment, taking long strides as she walked down the halls of the building. “Hey! Wait Up!” Chrysoprase ran to catch up with her, looking up into her eyes. “Where are we going?” “I was going to go interrogate some brutish Chalcedony.” The smaller gem became confused, “Why?” the huntress looked down at Chrysoprase, “I captured some of her associates decades ago, and she wasn’t too happy about it,” Carnelian responded frankly. “Do you really think it’s her?” “I have no better options.”

The two gems left the building, the taller gem taking the lead. “As I said, she’s a brute,” she started, “She’s one of those “destroy everything in her path” kind of soldiers.” she sneered again, now getting back to her normal condescending smile. “That’s… enlightening.” Chrysoprase said quietly. “Don’t worry about her, criminals always fear the huntress,” she smirked, confidence irradiating from the reddish orange gem. Carnelian mussed her hair, “I’ll show Yellow Diamond,” she thought to herself, “I’ll show everyone that I’m the best.” she began to think out loud, “Yellow Diamond won’t know what hit her.” “Huh?” “Nothing.” 

The two gems continued to walk through the streets of the Yellow District until they came across an old storefront, where the taller gem stopped in her tracks and turned to face the crumbling facade. “Here we are, now…” she lifted Chrysoprase’s chin up to eye level, “watch a real investigator work.” she quickly turned into the storefront, leaving the smaller gem in the dust. He followed her, not knowing what would happen next.


	12. Interrogation and Intrigue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carnelian interrogates the Chalcedony.

“Hello, Chal.” Carnelian said as she barreled herself in front of the larger Chalcedony, resting her hand on the table below, “How’s my favorite criminal doing?” Chalcedony jumped at the sight of her and swiftly sank into the chair. “I’m not a criminal.” Chalcedony responded quietly, her entire body shaking from shock. “Why’re you shaking?” the huntress began, “Shouldn’t you be acting like the big, tough soldier you are?” Carnelian laughed mockingly, taunting the gem in front of her. Chrysoprase stood back from the situation, hoping to go unseen, he did not. “Who’s the Newbie?” “Don’t worry about him.” 

The reddish orange gem took her hand off the table, turning around to face Chrysoprase. “See? This is how you do it, twitsqueak.” “Twitsqueak?” Carnelian laughed again, “It’s a mix of twit and pipsqueak! Get it? Because you’re weak and annoying!” She kept laughing as Chrysoprase sighed. “Look, whatever this is about, I didn’t do it.” Chalcedony spoke up, trying to hide whatever fear she had. “You expect me to believe you?” the huntress stopped laughing, “The gem who’s associates I hunted down and captured wants me to believe that she didn’t attack me?” “Attack you- I would never!” Carnelian rolled her eyes but the solider kept talking, “That whole incident was years ago, I’m over it now.” Chrysoprase spoke, “Maybe she’s right, she doesn’t have a reason to attack you now.” “Shut up, pebble!” the smaller gem curled up and decided to keep his mouth shut.

Carnelian pulled the blaster out of her gem and pointed it directly at Chalcedony, her finger resting on the trigger. “Wait, I told you I didn’t do anything!” “And I didn’t believe you, so here we are.” She almost pulled the trigger, but Chrysoprase jumped in front of her. “What’s wrong with you?” He began to yell, “You were laughing and smiling just a minute ago!” Carnelian dropped her blaster, her burning rage slowly deteriorating. “Just get out of my way.”

Chrysoprase stepped out of harm’s way, not wanting to be on the receiving end of whatever she planned. The Huntress slugged Chalcedony right across the face, leaving the soldier on the ground. “I’ll be back for you.” the reddish orange gem walked out of storefront, rubbing her hand through her hair. Chrysoprase helped Chalcedony to her feet, still a little concerned about what had just happened. He walked out the storefront and followed the taller gem, breaking his silence with one simple question. 

“Carnelian, what’s wrong?”


	13. A Method to the Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase and Carnelian talk it out.

Carnelian turned around slowly after the smaller gem asked his question, her eyes staring daggers at the smaller gem. “Just go away, twitsqueak.” she said in exasperation. “I’m trying to help you,” Chrysoprase began, “You went from laughing and smiling to smacking her across the face.” 

The huntress walked toward the smaller gem, now using the art of intimidation. “You wouldn’t understand half of what I would tell you.” the huntress began to smirk, almost as if she was hiding a secret from a friend. “Probably not, but telling me can’t hurt.” Chrysoprase insisted, now intrigued by what he “Wouldn’t understand”. “Have you ever been jumped by a group of rebels? Might I ask if you’ve ever even seen what my blaster can actually do?” Carnelian got down on one knee, the smirk now becoming a taunt towards the smaller gem. “No…” “Then you don’t understand my plight, runt.” she said the last word quietly, turning it into a venomous insult.

“Don’t call me a runt.” Chrysoprase countered. “Where’s that side of you been this whole time?” “What side?” “The angry side, the side that wants to see other people suffer.” the taller gem’s hazel eyes were now locked onto Chrysoprase as she waited for an answer. “I don’t get angry that much.” he took a step back, fidgeting with the diamond on his lapel. “That’s too bad, if you did you could have my job.” “I don’t want your job, too much Diamond interaction for my liking.” she feigned a gasp, “Old Yellow isn’t that bad, well, after you get over the rough exterior and the fact that she’s almost completely devoid of emotion.” Chrysoprase chuckled, “Sounds about right.” “Good, because I’m not joking.” her tone turned serious, “She wouldn’t care if you died tomorrow.” 

She pulled a small hairbrush out of her gem and started to brush her long, crimson hair. “Well, I do believe I must get going.” Carnelian started to wherever she was going next, leaving Chrysoprase in a state of whiplashed confusion. “Toodles!” “Where are you going?” “Somewhere weak twits like you aren’t allowed!” The huntress snorted loudly. The smaller gem decided to go to Citrine’s, “It can’t hurt.” he thought. He sat down at a table, welcomed by the owner and his almost permanent smile. “How come everytime you’ve been here recently you’ve been down in the dumps?” he asked kindly. “I don’t know, it’s been a stressful week.” 

Chrysoprase put his hand on the side of his head, clutching the short tuft of white hair that was there. He looked around at his surroundings, the sights and sounds of the restaurant now seemed a lot larger while he was by himself. The green gem heard the bell on the door ring, a random noise that he decided to pay attention to this time around, but this time Tanzanite and Amber walked through the door. 

“Hey, dude.” the larger gem said amiably, “Tan, what’re you doing here?” “Just thought I’d apologize for the whole ‘Leaving the case” thing.” Amber rolled her eyes, “I made him.” she began, “I told him that he wasn’t going to abandon his best friend because of me.” she let go of his arm and left the restaurant. “She actually did that?” “Well, it went a little bit differently, but yeah.” Chrysoprase smiled, he had his best friend back and that’s all he really could ask for, “Come on, dude.” he started, “We’ve got a case to solve.”


	14. Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase and Tanzanite get closer to solving the case.

Tanzanite walked the streets with a newfound confidence, his friend walked behind him, silently musing about how out of hand this whole situation had gotten. “I don’t get it, why do you wanna come back now?” Chrysoprase asked his friend. “I dunno, Am screamed at me, then I thought about it for a minute, and now here I am.” the soldier shrugged. 

“Anyway, did you get anything while I was out of commission?” “Not really, just some super vague “help” from Carnelian.” Tanzanite stood confused, “You went to her?” his friend grabbed his shirt collar, “I didn’t really have a choice.” Chrysoprase drooped his head down. “Well, I think we should get started.” Tanzanite kept moving forward, almost like a man on a mission. “That’s the problem, we have nothing,” Chrysoprase spoke negatively, “We haven’t gotten anywhere this whole time.” “Then we try and get somewhere, right? Like you said, we’re detectives.” 

The larger gem smiled, causing his smaller friend to smile back. Both gems stopped to look at Yellow Diamond’s palace, the structure reminding one of them of an order that he had yet to fulfill. “Let’s start from the beginning,” Tanzanite spoke, “Who would want to hurt her?” “Almost everyone it seems like.” the soldier grunted, “It’d have to be someone who’s strong enough to scare her,” he said while rubbing his chin. The two continued to brainstorm, saying names like back and forth but getting no closer to solving this topsy-turvy case.

“You know, I’m starting to think there’s no case at all.”

Chrysoprase sounded defeated, “What do you mean?” “I mean that I think she just bopped herself in the nose for attention.” He started to get mad, as this case had really taken a toll on him. “She’s leading us on a wild chase through Homeworld just so she can laugh at us.” The smaller gem said the last sentence with a certain kind of disdain. “That’s actually plausible,” Tanzanite stood in what can best be described as surprise, “She’s the type of gem who’d do that kind of stuff.” he remarked begrudgingly.

They thought it over, and they both realized that her hitting herself was the best answer they had at that moment. “Oh, Stars.” Chrysoprase slumped into his hand. “We have to talk to her now, don’t we?” Tanzanite groaned, she was the last person he wanted to see. “No,” Chrysoprase said, looking up at the tall palace above them, “I think I know someone we can talk to.” 

Chrysoprase grabbed his friend and almost dragged him into Yellow Diamond’s palace, plans and conversations going through his head at a record pace. “We need to speak to Yellow Diamond.” The secretary gave them a look of displeasure, “You two do realize that it’s late, correct?” “Yes, but it’s an emergency.” She raised an eyebrow, “What is it about?” Chrysoprase paused before speaking, “Uh… My friend here wanted to report a rebellion in progress!” “Stars above, in that case I’m sure she can see you, though I don’t believe that her majesty would be very happy about it.” “Thank you!” Chrysoprase ran to the elevator, he finally had something to tell his diamond.


	15. One Night in the Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase and Tanzanite talk to Yellow Diamond.

The two gems stood in the elevator, a small calm moving through them as they waited for it to reach the top floor. “So… What are we going to do when we get up there?” Tanzanite asked nervously. “We’ll say that we think we solved the case, then she’ll-” Chrysoprase stopped, “She’ll what?” “I don’t know.” the smaller gem started to shake, nerves catching up to him as well. The elevator opened, revealing the Yellow Diamond’s office. “Yellow Diamond!” the diamond jumped, “What are you doing in here?” she stood up, “You idiots do understand that I am not accepting visitors at this time of day, correct?” she said, annoyed by the presence of the two gems standing in front of her.

“My Diamond, me and my partner think we’ve solved the Carnelian case.” Chrysoprase gave an anxious smile, “Really?” the diamond raised an eyebrow. “We think that the Carnelian…” he paused for dramatic effect, “Punched herself in the face for attention.” his anxious smile grew wider as the tensity in the room grew. Yellow Diamond thought the theory over, her eyes never leaving the window that looked out into the city. “It’s most certainly possible.” she walked over to the two cowering gems on the other side of her office, “But I would like some proof before I make my judgment.” Yellow Diamond stood over them with her hands behind her back. Tanzanite looked at his friend, an expression of fear resting on his face. “Well,” Chrysoprase stammered, “We weren’t going anywhere with our investigation, so we kinda just thought of the best answer.” he shrunk into his form.

“We were just trying to come up with a good explanation, ma’am” Tanzanite spoke, trying to help his friend. “I see.” Yellow Diamond pinched her nose, letting out a deep sigh. “Chrysoprase.” “Uh… Yes, my diamond?” the diamond quickly looked at both gems, “I must say that I give credence to your little theory.” she said quietly. “There are no suspects, no rebellions nor rumors, just a gem being hit on the nose.” she continued, “I know plenty about my huntress, and if anyone were to start a chase through Homeworld for a day in the limelight, it would be her.” Yellow Diamond sat back down at her desk, now toying with the pencil that she had been holding when they had entered. “That’s what I said!” Tanzanite yelled while throwing his arms up in the air. “But we have no proof, or anything that even remotely says that she could’ve done that.” “I know, that’s why I’ve come to a conclusion.” the two gems stood confused, “There’s nothing that says she didn’t.” the diamond said with a small smile.

Chrysoprase and Tanzanite looked at each other in a daze, their bewildered expressions almost mirroring together. “I recommend you bring this up to her.” Yellow Diamond spoke again, “I can even let you borrow one of my guards if you’d like to intimidate her into confessing.” Chrysoprase thought it over, “That’d be pretty cool-” “No.” “Why not?” Tanzanite kept shaking his head, “Because we’re not gonna scare her into talking, we’ll try to convince her.” the larger gem answered. “Like that’s ever gonna work.” “If we need to spook her I’ll pull out my axe, how about that?” Chrysoprase nodded, “Fine.” The two gems turned around to leave, but Yellow Diamond spoke up again. “After you’re done, can you two bring her to me?” she said, “I’d like to talk to her personally after the little stunt she pulled.” Tanzanite nodded and they left the office before exchanging a small high-five. They left the palace and decided to go back to their homes, for they both knew that the hardest part of the case would await them in the morning.


	16. A Short Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase and Tanzanite talk to Carnelian.

Chrysoprase sat on a bench outside of the apartment complex, waiting on his partner to arrive. He couldn’t contain either his excitement or fear of whatever was to come. “Hey, Dude.” Tanzanite said with an almost reassuring smile. “Hello.” the smaller gem sank into his shoulders a little, the nerves started to take over. “What’s wrong?” the soldier noticed his friends’ sinking, “You’re not usually this shaky.” Chrysoprase stumbled over his words, “I don’t know, it’s just a little nerve racking, with it being an order from Yellow Diamond herself and all.” he paused for a second, “And we don’t know how she’ll respond.” he nodded his head towards the apartment door.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” his friend responded calmly. Tanzanite knocked on the door, which got him a loud shriek from the other side. “What do you want?” Carnelian opened the door, her messy hair and red pajamas made the huntress seem more relatable to the two working gems. “Uh… We just wanted to talk to you.” Tanzanite spoke quietly. “Go away.” she scoffed, “Yellow Diamond gave us an order, and I really don’t want her mad at me.” “Ugh, Fine.” She let the two gems into her apartment, a velvety interior welcoming them. “Alright, twits.” she remarked snidely, “Whatever could my glorious diamond want out of me?” “She, and we, believe that you…” “Punched yourself in the face!” Chrysoprase jumped up, an anxious smile brandished on his face. The Huntress stood in silence, running her hand up and down her hip. “Really? You believe that?” the smaller gem nodded his head yes, then she started to laugh. The laugh was almost maniacal, her teeth were bared, and it quickly became a cackle.

“I can’t believe you twits would think that about me!” the cackling slowly sputtered out, now replaced with a fiery rage. “We-” “I’m a self-respecting member of gemkind, and I’m sorry that being accused of decking myself for attention doesn’t make me happy!” Tanzanite stepped back, wanting no part in her wrath. “We’re just trying to do our job.” Chrysoprase spoke up again, “We have orders, you know?” Carnelian grabbed the smaller gem’s collar, pulling him up to her eye level. “Let me tell you something, twitsqueak. I’ve done some things in my existence that will make you think I’m some trigger-happy bounty hunter with no soul, but I’m a gem too. Don’t forget that.” Her rage turned into tears, they began to stream down her face so swiftly that it almost gave Chrysoprase emotional whiplash.

“Um…” he couldn’t think of anything to say, “We know you’re a gem, we just want you to admit that you did something wrong.” The huntress crumbled into a chair, “Fine. So, I thwacked myself in the nose, what about it?” “You led us on a wild chase through Homeworld, and it doesn’t help that you interrogated innocent people.” Carnelian ran her hand through her messy red hair, a face of guilt showing through. “Yellow Diamond wanted to talk to you.” Tanzanite stood up, “Something about wanting to talk about the little stunt you pulled.” the huntress sighed, “Well, I have no choice now.” The three gems walked out of the apartment and down the stairs, exiting the complex with the palace in their sights. They had finally solved the case.


	17. Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carnelian faces her consequence.

“You two hate me now, don’t you?” Carnelian broke the silence with her question, a vulnerability shining through that never really had before. “No, I don’t like hating people.” Chrysoprase answered quietly. The two who had solved the case walked through homeworld with determination, the other maneuvering past the other gems walking next to them while she awaits whatever the very near future brings. They made it to the palace, the massive structure staring the three down like a predator with its prey. “You’re shaking again.” 

Chrysoprase’s nerves started to take over again, he shook and sank until he took a deep breath and tried to man up. “We’re here to see Yellow Diamond.” Tanzanite spoke bluntly. “Good.” The secretary stood from her chair and let out a groan, “She’s been expecting you.” The gems went up the elevator and into the office, the city gleaming bright through the window pane.

“Hello, Huntress.” The diamond said with a cold anger in her voice. “Hi, Yellow.” “Don’t call me that.” Carnelian chuckled, “What? It’s just a little nickname.” Yellow Diamond stood from her seat, “I don’t think you understand why you’re here.” Her golden eyes stared daggers into the soul of the shorter huntress. “You led me, the Chrysoprase, and his friend on a chase through homeworld for your own amusement.” The diamond continued an emotionless glare after the decree. “It was a little fun, playing with the twits, but that wasn’t why I did it.” 

Her superior raised an eyebrow, “Really?” “I did it because beryl left me in front of that restaurant, and I smacked myself a little too hard, and then I panicked when those idiots saw me.” Chrysoprase spoke up, “You did all of this because you panicked?!” He was mad, “You could’ve told us!” She screamed back at him, “You two seemed so dead set on helping me!” her voice sank, “It felt good…” “That’s not an excuse.” Yellow Diamond reentered the conversation, “You will be punished.” “Yes, your highness.” All four gems stood in silence after that. “If you wanted some friends, you could’ve just asked.” Chrysoprase said comfortably, for he had calmed down quickly. “Panic does things to you, twitsqueak.” Carnelian uttered quietly. “I’ve decided your consequence.”

The diamond’s voice echoed through the room again. “Well, I’ve had a good life, and-” “It’s not death.” Yellow remarked, vexed. “Your punishment is community service.” The huntress stood shocked, “That’s it?! I thought you were gonna throw me to the soldiers and make me a punching bag!” Yellow Diamond let out a tiny chuckle, “No, though I’m sure you’d consider three centuries in the archive torutre.” “What?!” “Don’t act like that, I’m sure Onyx will love you.” A diabolical smile ran across the diamond’s lips. Chrysoprase and Tanzanite gave each other high-fives and hugs. “You two are dismissed.” Yellow Diamond said as she sent them on their way. The two gems were back at palace square again, and they knew exactly where to go and what to do. “Citrine’s?” “Citrine’s.” They began walking to their favorite establishment, a night of celebration ahead.


	18. The Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoprase and Tanzanite go back to the restaraunt.

“I’m just glad it’s over.” The two gems sat in the restaurant where their saga began. Chrysoprase munching on fries and his friend taking the occasional sip of water. “Yeah, this has been the most topsy-turvy week of my life.” “Same.” Tanzanite looked out the window, thinking in retrospect. “Do you think anyone besides us will remember any of this?” Chrysoprase looked down at his feet, “Probably, I can think of a couple people who’ll love a good story about this in a thousand years.” Both gems sat silently for a little while, taking in the calm air of the mostly quiet establishment. 

“Hi, you two!” Citrine broke the silence, his smile lighting the room. “Haven’t seen either of you in a bit, how’s the whole case thing going?” “Oh, it’s done.” Citrine stood shocked, “It’s done? And you didn’t tell me anything?!” He laughed, “I need details, gentlemen.” “She hit herself, and then let us help her because it made her feel good.” Chrysoprase spoke, his words muffled by the fries in his mouth. “Ah, not as fun as the getting jumped scenario.” “Nope.” Tanzanite entered the conversation. “Well, I better get back to the host table, I’ll see y’all later.” Tanzanite went back to looking out the window, still wondering how this past week would be remembered.

“Everything feels weird now.” Chrysoprase broke his trance, “It feels weird that we’re gonna go back to sleeping without having something to wake up for, or doing something that is helping someone.” his voice faltered. “Yeah.” his friend had nothing to say as he kept looking outside, his trance restarted. “I just hope a little bit of normality helps me out, or at least it could calm down all the nerves moving through me.” The smaller gem took one last handful of fries, staring at them intently while thinking back at the last week. “You know what, I think she did change our lives for the better, in some strange way.” Tanzanite turned around, “Dude, I think you need to sleep, you’re talking like a therapist.” “I’m being serious. Nothing will ever really be the same for us.” The soldier looked down, “Well, Welcome to Homeworld, where nothing ever stays the same.” The two gems shared a laugh and went back to what they were doing before. They were both changed, though in vastly different ways, but they both knew that nothing would ever be the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a trip. I'd like to thank everyone who read this little story of mine, and expect more with these characters in the future!


End file.
